Tallinn
From Imakoopedia
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is truly one of the gems of Eastern Europe. The city lies at the bottom of a bay on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, only 70 kilometers south of Helsinki. At the historical heart of the city is the hill of Toompea, covered in cobbled streets and filled with medieval houses and alleyways. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall. Around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling.
While the old town has been astonishingly well preserved and is now in better shape than ever, with the bigger roads converted into fashionable shopping streets reminescent of Zürich or Geneva, the new town sprawling all around is largely built in typical concrete Soviet style. The new center of town is Vabaduse väljäk (Freedom Square) at the edge of the old town, and nearby is the giant matchbox of Hotel Viru, the former Intourist flagship and notorious den of Cold War intrigue (every room was tapped and monitored by the KGB!). Recently, Tallinn has received a boom in tourism, especially by daytrippers which visit it from its sister city across the Baltic Sea, Helsinki.
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Understand
Tallinn is a historical city dating back from the medieval times and founded in 1157, although the first fortress was built on Toompea in 1050. In 1219, the city was conquered by Valdemar II of Denmark, but it was soon sold to the Hanseatic League in 1285. The city -- known as Revel at the time -- prospered as a trading town in the 14th century, and much of Tallinn's historic center was built at this time.
Tallinn then became a pawn in the geopolitical games of its big neighbors, passing into Swedish hands in 1561 and then to Russia under Peter the Great in 1710. By World War I and the ensuing brief Estonian independence Tallinn's population had reached 150,000.
Estonia was eventually annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, only to be conquered by Nazi Germany (1941-44) and then retaken by the Soviets. In World War II, the city was quite extensively bombed, even though luckily the medieval town remains. The Soviet Union undertook a program of Russification, and just over 40% of Tallinn's current inhabitants are Russian (compared to an average of 28% for the entire country). On August 20, 1991, Estonia declared independence and Tallinn became its capital once again.
Today, Tallinn is a bustling, gleaming metropolis of 390,000 people, undoubtedly the most modern city in the Baltics. However, among the tall glassy buildings and corporate headquarters, Tallinn retains an inner charm rarely found anywhere else. Estonia considers itself a Northern European country (i.e. nearly Scandinavian) and, if you have had Scandinavian travel experiences before, you will understand Tallinn well.
Get in
By boat
As in other parts of Baltic Europe and Scandinavia, sea is the easiest and most common way of reaching Tallinn.
The most common ferry shuttle route is the short journey from Helsinki in Finland to Tallinn. The basic choice is between fast hydrofoil or catamaran, which complete the trip in 1.5 hours but cost more (€22-38 one way) and are suspectible to poor weather, and slow ferries, which plod for 3.5 hours in rain or shine for half the price (starting at €12). Exact pricing depends on operator, season (summer costs more), day of week (Fri/Sat costs more) and even time of departure (to Tallinn in the morning and back in the evening is popular and hence more expensive).
As of 2004, the list of operators is:
- Eckerö Line (http://www.eckeroline.fi), large ferries
- Linda Line (http://www.lindaline.fi), small hydrofoils
- Nordic Jet Line (http://www.njf.fi), fast catamarans
- SeaWind Line (http://www.seawind.fi), large ferries
- Silja Line (http://www.silja.fi), fast catamarans
- Tallink (http://www.tallink.fi), fast catamarans and slow ferries (the largest operator)
- Viking Line (http://www.vikingline.fi), large ferries
Note that large catamarans and all ferries can also carry cars. There are also several ferry options to Stockholm, St. Petersburg and even some ports in Germany.
All ferries except Linda Line dock at Reisisadam port, to the north of the center. From here, there is a direct bus to both the city center and the airport; alternatively, just walk for a leisurely 15 minutes, first east to Mere pst and then down to Viru Square. The journey from the port to the city center is not all that impressive but don't be shocked - this isn't the real Tallinn!
By plane
Tallinn Airport, about 5 km from the city center, is increasingly becoming an airport hub of the Baltics. Estonian Air (http://www.estonian-air.ee?keel=eng) provides good quality services to a series of European cities, including London, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Riga, Vilnius, Kiev and Moscow. If you live in or near these cities, air travel is the best way to get to Tallinn. Fares are also fairly cheap - Amsterdam to Tallinn is from 67 Euro. In a code-share agreement with SAS Scandinavian Airlines, there are now a whopping 18 flights per week to Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Alternatively, if you're in a very big hurry to get to or from Helsinki, Copterline (http://www.copterline.com) operates an hourly helicopter service between the cities. Flights take 20 minutes and the list price is a steep €198, although a number of discounts and packages are available, notably €110 for Silja's catamaran one way and a helicopter ride back.
By train
Train travel in the Baltics has considerably decreased in recent years, and today, Estonian rail is a cocktail of private companies and subcontractors that makes it fairly hard to get around by train. There are limited train services to Latvia, Lithuania and Russia (Moscow and Saint Peterburg). Therefore, train is not a good option to get into Estonia. If you're visiting from Russia, take the plane; if you're in Latvia or Lithuania, consider the bus. If in Poland, fly to a European hub and transfer to Tallinn, or catch a bus.
By bus
There are a series of fairly frequent bus routes that radiate out from Tallinn and serve other countries. These particularly go to Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania, as well as other parts of Estonia. Even though not always the best of comfort, they are much better (usually) than the train if you live in one of Estonia's neighbouring countries. Increasingly, the buses are also servicing Russia, Germany and Poland
Get around
The Old City is best navigated on foot, not that you have much choice. A network of somewhat decrepit trams and trolley buses covers the new town, and there is an abundance of (relatively) cheap taxis.
See
Tallinn's prime attraction is the excellently preserved Old City, built in the 15-17th centuries. The compact area is best explored on foot.
- Start your walk from Viru Gate, the entrance to the road of the same name, which is now Tallinn's trendiest shopping drag.
- Head up to Raekoja plats, the square in the heart of the Old City, ringed with cafes and restaurants. The Raekoja (Town Hall) itself, built in 1371, dominates the square.
- From the square, continue up the hill along Pikk and Pikk jalg through the gate tower (1380) to Toompea, the site of the Danish castle that founded the city in 1219. Rebuilt in the 18th century, part of the castle now houses the Riigikogu, Estonia's Parliament. Other notable buildings in the area include the distinctive Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Lutheran Toomkirik, the oldest church in Tallinn.
Buy
For heavy-duty shopping check out the Kaubamaja and Stockmann department stores, off Vabaduse väljäk. The area near the port has also sprouted an ever-increasing array of minimarkets, supermarkets and hypermarkets catering to the tax-free alcohol brigade.
For boutiques and souvenirs, your best choice is Viru road in the Old City and its side streets. There are many stalls selling traditional items like woolen pullovers; prepare to bargain.
Eat
The Old City is packed with restaurants claiming to offer authentic Estonian food, particularly on and around Raekoja plats. Prices are steep by Estonian standards, but still much cheaper than neighboring Helsinki -- which explains why on weekends they're always packed with daytripping Finns.
- Troika (http://www.troika.ee) (Raekoja plats 15) is one of the better options in the area, offering generous portions of not Estonian but Russian food. In summer, people watch on the terrace; in winter, head down to the warm cellar. To fill up, get a misnamed "small" zakuski appetizer plate big enough for 3 (61 kr), then dip your pelmeni dumplings (49 kr) in smetana or the other sauces provided and wash it down with a shot of vodka (20+ kr).
Drink
Tallinn's nightlife is extensive enough to be notorious. Exercise some caution in choosing your venue, as some strip clubs and such make their money by fleecing tourists who come in for a drink.
- Dekoltee (Ahtri 10) remains the swankiest nightclub in the Baltics.
- Vibe (http://www.vibe.ee)'s techno parties are legendary, using venues like abandoned Soviet chemical factories. Scheduling is random, keep an eye on the website and be sure to attend if one is coming up.
Sleep
- Vana Tom youth hostel, Vaike-Karja 1 (extra directions if necessary), +372 6313252 (fax: +372 6120611). Very centrally situated in the Old Town, so can be a little noisy. Situated in the same building as a Strip Club. A breakfast of a ham/cheese baguette, egg, fruit juice and piece of fruit is included. Clean, comfortable dorms. 235 EEK. http://www.hostel.ee/
Stay safe
In some of the shadier bits of Tallinn's nightlife Mafia presence remains heavy, but much less visible and violent than it used to be. Overall, Tallinn is a safe town if you don't go out of your way to court trouble.
